DCC Archive The Dave Clark Five---"Glad All Over Again"

What's up with Dave Clark? As a long time hold out to the CD format he chose to release just one "hits" CD. This would be the perfect catalog for someone like Sundazed to release. Are their any key stereo masters of the "hits" that exist that weren't released?

I wholly invite anyone to challange me on this, but this is what I know...

First of all, the DC5 CD that appeared 1st was the History of the DC5 which was a double CD set out from Hollywood Records. Now, let's preface that Dave Clark is a stickler for the rights to his songs, and the money and investment he was promised from Hollywood didn't come out to his liking, so he pulled the CD set from Elektra/Hollywood, causing many fans to get real ticked off once again from his business decisions.

Note also, that among Badfinger, Cameo/Abkco stuff and the Buckingham/Nicks CD (still left non released officially) the DC5 collection on CD was highly coveted from music lovers. Many DC5 bootlegs existed, much from Parlaphone vinyl.

From what I know, the collection AKA "History Of The Dave Clark 5" was supposed to be handled by another label in the Uk, but no one wants to touch it because of the huge advance, control and rath of Dave himself. "Show Me The Money" big-time.

Most of the early stuff was released to MONO and Dave has the masters of everything (Steve, correct me if I am wrongo) and insists on using the mono's as released. He was noted by being very upset at Epic Records for using bozo-stereo techniques, and I don't blame him for that. Was there Stereo masters? No, just funky electronically reprosessed ones, and heck I think I once saw a "stereo" Parlaphone blue label (Columbia), and I'm almost positive THAT was another hack stereo job too (I don't own it, so I donno). Don't even bother dropping the needle on them Epics unless they're the 45s!

For almost all of the best early DC5, I'm honest by saying it'll sound best that way. Dave also worked hard to get the sound he did on those songs, and I doubt you'll hear anything stereo on "Catch Us If You Can", "Glad All Over" or "Because". However, the wild wacky reverb and boomy stompy sound of the MONO on Hollywood is great.

Again, this is a stereo argument I could even have with myself, but if you even have a CDR copy of the "History" set by Hollyood, consider youself fortunate enough. I grabbed the 2CD set when it was released, and just in time. The set was available in 1993ish, and I think it was yanked in 1995. Woe be it, the fans, I'm sorry to say.

Don't bother Dave Clark about anything. He will sue your ass into a paste.

Actually the last three DC5 US LP’s “5 by 5”, “You Got What It Takes” and “Everybody Knows” were true stereo. There is a US 2 record set “The Dave Clark Five” and an UK “Best Of The Dave Clark Five” which contain 70’s stereo re-mixes of many of the hits and these are the sources for the stereo tracks on the “gray area” CD’s that have appeared. It wasn’t till the ‘70’s when later sets, “If Somebody Loves You” and “Play Good Old R&R” and the above mentioned greatest hit set before the UK saw any stereo releases of the Dave Clark Five. I’m just commenting on what was actually released in Stereo on LP in the UK and US.

On the stereo DC5 topic, the best of collection that came out in the UK in '93 was on EMI and was only a single CD, omitting a lot of the B sides and obscure (but great) album tracks on the Hollywood set. Interestingly enough, You've Got What It Takes was stereo on the UK disc, mono on the Hollywood one. Go figure.
I have that 2 LP Epic set, along with the British EMI best of (blue label), and the stereo mixes on each are great. One can only imagine what Steve could have done with the tapes.
Too bad Dave is holding out for top dollar for the reissue rights. By the time he inks the deal, all of us boomers will be dead or deaf. A fine marketing strategy. Nice to know that he also holds the rights to the classic British Top of the Pops shows. We'll be seeing those on DVD REAL soon!
For those of us who aren't banking on Dave coming to his senses in the near term, the Rock-In-Beat sets from Germany, while vinyl dubs, seem to be about as good as we're going to get. (The label's website just announced an upcoming rarities set-no details yet). As a big fan of the group in the 60s, I sprang for the complete set. When I sat down and played them all, to be honest, I quickly came to the conclusion that the memory was far better than the reality: while the DC5 put out some classic music in the '60s, a LOT of the the LP tracks are filler and pretty unlistenable. The vast majority of the songs retread the old, you done me wrong theme. Some classic stuff is mixed in there, too without a doubt, but lotsa chaff with the wheat. I suspect that much of Dave's disenchantment with Hollywood was a result of the label's realization that an expanded CD release of, say, The DC5 Return, with outtakes of the group's classic rendition of Zip A Dee Doo Dah, would not exactly set the charts on fire. Sad but true: the DC5 is a prime candidate for the DCC treatment of its 28 solid gold hits, but not much more.
In contrast, with regard to the Zombies......

DC5 Fans...There is also a "cheapo" CD put out by SONY Music Special Products (10 Song) in 1992 called Rock Goes To The Movies/Rockin' Is Our Bizness(A 22836). It has "clean" STEREO versions of Whenever You're Around and Thinking Of You Baby. Worth picking up for sure! There is also an Animals song,on this CD, called "The Biggest Bundle Of Them All" in stereo. I don't think this song appears too often anywhere.

While we're on the subject of the DC5, does anyone else agree that the sound of the mono Epic LP's are crappy. Really squashed and narrow sounding, but the original 45's and even early 70's 45 reissues are noticeably better. Even the 1971 compilation album with all the songs in stereo sounds lousy. Why is that? Some of the compilations that came out in Europe in the late 70's on EMI's budget label Starline and Polydor, have DC5 songs in stereo and sound wonderful. Hopefully one of these days we'll get those songs in stereo on CD.

The stereo Epics (lps) are horrible. From what I remember, they're hollow and bright in the left, and deddend dry and dull in the right. All of the Epic 45's I've heard and owned were pressed with a lot of power, have a great sound and sadly self-destruct under stylus [pressure] of the times. So, when you get a used one, the background sounds scortched, but when I was doing college radio, my 45 of "Over & Over" sounded just perfect on the old tube exciter employed at the time. I miss that time

I could hear the sound of the 45 bouncing off the canatvileer (stylus stem) as I took calls, with the sound all the way down. Those grooves were grey and beaten badly. Sounded great, it was wild... weird too!

Sckott, I know exactly what you're talking about on the 45's. Right around that time record companies like CBS starting using polystrene instead of vinyl to press 45's because it was cheaper and the stampers didn't wear out as quickly from constant heating and cooling, since polystrene is injection-molded instead of using steam heat. Polystrene 45's are very sensitive to heavy stylus weight and the grooves can be damaged a lot easier, especially if you try to back cue them.

Hi DC fans, As far as stereo is concerned, Dave picks and chooses what songs he will release in stereo and he has issued one or two new OLD hits in stereo on iTunes only. He has posted 3 new albums entitled Unreleased Tracks Volumes I, II, III.. One of them features "It'll Only Hurt For A Little While" from the Satisfied With You" album in true stereo for the first time. On another he features "Your Love Grows Cold" (renamed from "Someone Find Me A New Love" from the "try Too Hard" album) in a super clean mono version that's awesome but is missing 1/2 of the first bass note intro. There's more, check it out and let me know what you think. Danny Zoe

in the near term, the Rock-In-Beat sets from Germany, while vinyl dubs, seem to be about as good as we're going to get.

Click to expand...

In comparing the contents of two Rock-In-Beat releases, "The Dave Clark Five - Best of True Stereo" (30 tracks all stereo) and "The Dave Clark Five - Greatest Hits" (30 tracks including 17 tracks in true stereo) against the much praised (and rightfully so) The Best Of The Dave Clark Five: 14 Million World Sellers" EMI/Regal's "Starline" series (SRS 5037) vinyl LP. Neither CD reissue includes the Starline's songs Red Balloon, Blueberry Hill, Live In The Sky. Seems like even the grey area releases can't get it right.